By JM Hallas
PLEASANTON, Texas (April 6, 2024) – Solar Eclipse Eve, Eve.
I-37 Speedway roared back into action less than two days away from the Total Solar Eclipse. An omen perhaps?
The inaugural South Texas Friesen Performance IMCA Modified Series race on I-37 Speedway’s ¼-mile, semi-banked, dirt, oval was a barn burner with Chris Morris running down Ryan Doyon in the final laps. Morris and Doyon exchanged slide jobs with Morris edging out Doyon at the checkers and Rick Green third.
As green waved on the feature it was polesitter Doyon getting the point ahead of Morris, Jacob Hortch, Cody Leonard and Jared Maupin. On a lap three restart, Leonard got by Hortch for second while Greg Dinsmore, who started out back, made his way past Chris Carroll before another yellow.
Once back to green, Doyon got quickly away, while Dinsmore got shuffled way high on the back stretch and fell back. Maupin’s run in the top five ended on lap eight when he had trouble and slowed.
Doyon and Morris got away clean following the next restart with Green getting fourth from Hortch and Logan Dinsmore looking to follow. Lap 18 saw Joey Whitehead get into the front stretch wall for a yellow flag. Unfortunately the leader, Doyon, stopped, couldn’t refire and was pushed to the pits.
This set up a green, white, checkered finish with Morris now on point. Morris and Leonard got away while Logan Dinsmore got a good jump on Green for third, but too good and would be docked two spots. Morris held off Leonard for the victory, his second STIMS I-37 Speedway win, in the final laps.
“Like they say,” said Morris, “sometimes it pays to be lucky rather than good and tonight that was the case. I had a good car but Ryan was just a little better than me in (turns) three and four. I wouldn’t have had anything for him until he ran out of fuel.”
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